The Republican journal., 1887-07-28
The Sailor Doll.

baHtlZcu with another name.
HELEN y. PACk AKI,.
The Sailor Doll.
\ few persons may call to mind a miserable.
wcirl-looLin@ little girl of seven or eight years
old. who. until about year ago, used to ply
her trade of professional be"yar, under the
pretcnrc Of selling matches. in one of The streets
leading from tn emhankncnt to the strand.
She WAS not pretty child but good many
pa>ser>-by dropped copper> into her dirty, out
stretched hand. moNcd Ia compassion by the
sight of her pinched features and ragged gar
| merits. II interrogateI she said her name was
Polly. and tn:ii she had Il sick mother and seT
cral >tarNin" brothers and sisters at home. and.
in fact, told the Old familiar story glib. as
to suggest strong doubt of her Veraciiy. AT all
events. she evidently preferred gifts OF money
to any other form of sympathy. for she rather
pointcdlv avoided kind-heartcd inlurers who
manifested curiosity about her personal hi>to-
ry.
1t WAS NOT generally suspected that Polly had
Il Young colleague and associate, who. though
he kept himself modc>tIy in the background,
was the senior partner and guiding spirit of
her enterprise. This was another little ragged
| outca>t named Jim. and the two We're brother
and sister, or, Al least, they We're both owned
by Il drunken virago whom they called mother
and regarded a> their common parent. Jim
was a few Years Older than Polly. and almost
turer> had been sent forth daily to beg or steal
in company. The hoy had long ago thumped
his sister into cheerful submission to his SOW
creign will. while. in rough and ready sort of
| way. he had always acted a> her companion
and protector.
Jim also WA, provided with box or two of
matches for the sake of appearances, but lie
rarely troubled himself to attempt to dispose of
Them His mission WIS to direct his sisters op-
eraion>. which lie did from some convenient
|
conveying his lchcsts to her by scarcely per-
ceptihlc signs and keeping: sharp lookout for
tine police. whether in uniform Oh plain clothes.
Experience had developed the boys natural
sharpness and cunning to Il point which ena-
bled him. almost by instinct, to distinguish the
kind Of persons OF whom :. would be danger
on, or impolilic to bee; while his Judgment
was scarcely less infallihc in sccuting !; tsctcc-
tive or II school board official.
The youngsters We're by no means unhappy.
i'll spite of the brutal mother at home, who beat
| them cruolly when the days gains were small
| er than u>tia!. Life has its consultations even
| for the most miserable; the half-frozen tramp,
l> lo munchcs crust under the lee of Il shell
| tcrin@ wall. forgets his troubles for the mo-
mcIit. and realizes happiness and contentment.
| Jim and Polly did not dislike their occupation.
for acqui>iiiyeness is inherent to human ma
ture. and they derived a plca>urablc excite
ment from the risks they ran in prcyng upon
the community. BY con>piring together, they
exact sums they gained, that they always
had money TO >pend in dainty foods and sweet
meats; and they ma'ie little expeditions to@eti-
CT on the sly: >ncaked sometimes into tllc gal
crN of some low music hall or penny gatl; and,
in short. found their lot more than to!eralle
from their point of view. They looked for
| ward. too. with cheerful confidence to a happy
future. when. relieved from domestic tyranny.
| they would themselves reap the full benefit of
their Joint eXertons and b" entirely free TO fol-
low their own devices.
These aspirations, however, We're never dcs-
| tined to be realized. Last winter Polly cough
ed a good deal and grew yi>ib!y thin. Her
brother noticed the fact. but so far from cal,s-
lng INN alarm or lincaslneSs, he was edited by
| the attention and commiSeration which the
girls condition excited. Silver pieces We're
! bestowed upon her. and for some weeks the
children reapnd quite harvest. But, at
length one unhappy day, a gentleman was SO
shocked at hearing lollys cough that he car
RED her OF then and there, in spite of her pro-
lc>tatlonS. 10 Il nclghhorln@ hospital. where to
| jim'> diSmav. she was detained Us patient.
Words would fail to describe .Jim's disgust
| and perturbation at being deprived of his sis
tcr's valuable services just at moment when
| trade WIS so EXTRAORDINARILY brisk. 1T never
occurred to him that there was anything scri-
onSiy wrong with Polys health. and he re-
garded her abduction as piece of unwarrant-
| Ell olhclot'>ness lie would have interfered had
he dared, but his native mode>ty deferred him
| lloH tblllI9 loiNalt. Ills 1iOlncT also lOf
| reasons OF her own, preferred not to claim her
| daughter, but rohtcntcd herself with thrashing
| jim brutally for permitting Polly to be taken
away. Ihu> II came about that the little girl
remained at the hospital for several weeks.
Meanwhile, the lad had suffered good deal of
| misery and priNatloll, which made him feel
| very acuttly the separation from his constant
| friend and companion. lie soon found that he
| could not make anything like as much by beg
ging as Polly had done under his directions.
and this fact was painfully impressed upon
| him by his mothers increased cruelty. The
public do not patronizc boy beggars as they do
| girls. and especially. such disreputable, for
| biddin.-looking young imp aS Jim. lie mar
rowly escaped being given in charge on sever
al occasions, so that he deemed it prudent to
! disappear for time from his accustomed
| stand. This neressltated his absentin@ himself
| from his mothers roof, for he dared not show
his face with empty pockets. He discovered
that pilferin%, as a means of livelihood, is pre-
cariou>. to say the least. and having an nstinc-
tive aversion to honest employment. he fire.
q!cntly found himself on the verge of Starva-
ton. To add to his troubles. the weather was
| exceptionally severe that winter, and as Jim
could not often afford the luxury of nights
| lodging, he had to seek shelter in disused
| buildings, or to col; himself up i'm the open air
on the steps of some public monument, or up
on Il seat on the cml'ankmcnt. In short, he
experienced all the mscries and hardships of a
poor little London street Arab in their acutest
loril' ana ne may DC excused 1or sometimes
feeling very bitter and resentful when he
thought of Polly enjoying the warmth and
creature comforts OF an hospital, while he was
shiverins and starving Oh the outside.
At length an event occurred which seemed
so important to Jim that he resolved to face
the terrible ordeal of presenting himself at the
hospital and demanding an interview with
Polly. lie learned one day of the sudden
death of their mother, who had been killed
while intoxicated. Far from being overcome
or depressed by this tragic incident. Jim hailed
it with JOY. as the dawn of a new and happy
era in the existence of Polly and himself.
They were now free TO realize the happiness
which they SO often talked of. and Jim, in his
clatior. felt sure that when Polly heard this
she would not linger another day in the hospit-
al, but would reJoin him at once, and start life
afresh under the most encouraging auspices.
lie, therefore. without giving himself too
much time for consideration, went straight
| away to the institution and tremuOuSly made